Legend of underground film making George Kuchar has passed away. He had spent recent weeks in a hospice suffering from cancer.
George directed over 200 films, initially with his twin brother Mike; they later made films seperately. George Kuchar's films always stood out from those of his contemporaries (Andy Warhol, Kenneth Anger,Jack Smith etc), not least for his sense of humour and for his unique zero budget take on the traditions of the Hollywood melodrama.
The Kuchar brothers were an enormous influence on JohnWaters; Divine's eyebrows in Pink Flamingos are a direct homage to make up artist 'Mr Dominic' (a pseudonymous George Kuchar).
Probably the best known film to involve George Kuchar is Thundercrack! Although directed by Curt McDowell and not Kuchar, George did write the screenplay, play the part of Bing and (as Mr Dominic) do the make up. Marion Eaton's eyebrows in this film are one of the highlights of Mr Dominic's career.
Sadly very few of the Kuchars' films have been shown in the UK. I remember seeing The Devil's Cleavage at the Scala in the 1980s, suppoted by several Kuchar short films including Eclipse Of The Sun Virgin and Hold Me While I'm Naked. There was a VHS video of roughly the same selection of films released not long after. As far as I know, brother Mike's Sins Of The Fleshapoids is the only Kuchar film available on DVD.
We can however rejoice in a body of film titles that has no rivals.

A few of my favourite Kuchar titles:

A Tub Named Desire
The Naked And The Nude
I Was A Teenage Rumpot
A Town Called Tempest
Pussy On A Hot Tin Roof
Color Me Shameless
I Married A Heathen
The Nocturnal Immaculation

A documentary about the brothers called It Came From Kuchar was shown at Raindance a couple of years back and is available on DVD. I recommend it highly.